My Angel
by Sefie Lynne tilmitt
Summary: Squall finds himself cold again after Rinoa's death... he copes with all of his problems by bottling it all up inside. He doesn't believe in angels, but that will all change when he's part of a miracle. (plz rr, flamers welcome)
1. Default Chapter

            Disclaimers: I don't own anything like Final Fantasy VIII, sadly. I'm just a chic who likes to write VIII fanfics. 

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The next chapter will be longer I promise. This is the introduction of sorts. Please read and review, flamers and ideas welcome!

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Squall Leonheart tried to ignore the bustling crowd around him. His mind wandered back to Rinoa once 

again. He shook the thought out of his head. Rinoa was gone now. There was no use thinking about her. It only 

brought back painful memories. Memories that were so grand, so dear, yet ached uncontrollably… He missed 

her a lot. That was an understatement. But he had to move on. 

"Squall." 

He turned around, his cold moonstone gray eyes searching for who'd said his name in the huge group of 

people. He couldn't locate the person. The voice had been unrecognizable, but it was definitely female. He turn-

ed away, shrugged, and tried to push through the crowd to get to the training center. 

"Wait up." The voice was quiet, not insistent, but he heard it clearly. He stopped an indifferent look on his face.

A rather short, thin girl with maroon hair, emerald eyes, and a pale but pretty face dusted lightly with 

freckles. She looked lost, confused, and cheerless. Squall looked at her inquisitively and more than a bit coldly.

"You're Squall Leonheart, aren't you?" she asked. 

"Yes."

"Okay! Um…" She bit her lip, trying not to make a fool of herself. 

"Well?" he raised his eyebrows.

"I'm Skye Heartilly." She said softly.

That sent a shock through Squall. Was she any relation to Rinoa? Obviously Skye saw the shock in his 

eyes, no matter how good his expression masked it. Skye smiled sadly at him, pushing her straight red bangs out 

of her eyes. She had a feeling that would throw him a bit, and she was right. Squall tried to clear his emotions 

from any visibility. 

Why hadn't he seen it? She looked like Rinoa in the face, and if her hair wasn't red, it would've looked 

like Rinoa's. She was wearing black jeans, black boots, and a baby blue sweater with a black leather belt. Squall 

looked away from her smile. He saw Rinoa when he looked at her. He wished he wouldn't. It hurt. He nodded at 

her, staring at the ground.

"She misses you, you know." Skye said out of the blue.

"How do you know?" Squall felt many emotions rise in his throat.

"Just because she's not here with us doesn't mean she's not in our hearts."

"Leave me alone if all you wanted to do was tell me Rinoa misses me. Rinoa's dead. How can she miss me?" 

Squall said coldly, turning to walk off.

"She's an angel now. Don't you believe in angels?" Skye asked, not bothered by the fact she was talking to 

Squall's back.

"If angels existed, Rinoa would still be here, they would protect people." Squall said unemotionally.

"No." Skye shook her head sadly.  "You still don't understand, do you? You'll realize. Angels are real. If you 

don't believe me… just wait and find out. You'll see. I promise." She smiled softly, pressed her finger to her lips

when she saw he was about to speak, and faded into the crowd. 


	2. Rinoa's Seraph

Skye Heartilly looked around, smiling to herself. Rinoa had softened this guy up.  How had she managed to do it? He

had no faith. That would soon change. 

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Squall's gazed was focused, determined, as he dealt the final blow to the monster in the training center. But no matter 

how much he tried, he couldn't get that girl's words out of his thoughts. He shook his head, his gray eyes shaded by his dark 

bangs. Skye had been a psyche. She probably had no clue about the ridiculousness of her own words. Rinoa, angels… it had

 to be lies. He shoved all thoughts of Skye and Rinoa to the back of his mind. 

"Hi Squall!" It was Selphie. 

Squall sighed. She had always gotten on his nerves, but lately more so than before. In her opinion, it wasn't like every cloud had

 a silver lining, every cloud was silver all over. She was exasperatingly optimistic. 

"Hello, Selphie." 

She beamed cheerfully. "How're you?"

"Okay. You?"

"Fine, thanks!" Selphie glanced away. She seemed reluctant to tell him something…

"What?" he asked, suspicious. 

"Um… You're… being sent on a mission. A girl named Skye requested to come along."

"Why?" Squall asked flatly. He thought he was done with that crazy girl.

"I dunno." Selphie shrugged. "Cid just told me to tell you."

"Whatever." He looked away, dreading the mission. Skye was only going to preach more about 'believing in angels'. Squall

shook his head, frowning.

"Well, um, you need to be at the front gates at four." She smiled happily at him and left no doubt for the quad. 

Squall stared coldly off into space. It was times like these he missed Rinoa even more. Times when he was so frustrated

with life. He wanted someone he could rely on. Irvine… He couldn't be trusted as far as he could be thrown. Selphie would 

come up with a cheery 'don't give up' answer. Quistis was an instructor. How could he talk to her? Zell was simply Zell. Squall

shook his head, thinking that he's give anything for Rinoa to be with him.

"She IS with you." Came a voice from behind him, as if reading his thoughts. 

He hadn't a doubt in his mind, but he spun around anyway. It was Skye.

"Do you ever give up?"

"No."

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" he asked irritably.

"Because right now you need an angel."

"You just don't get the drift, do you? I don't want an 'angel', or need one for that matter, speaking as if they exist."

"Rinoa was your angel, wasn't she?"

"Drop it." Squall turned away from her.

            Skye sighed, pushing her bangs away behind her ears. Her hair was tied back with a black ribbon, and she was wearing

A black Nike shirt with faded cargo jeans and white sketchers.  Talking to this guy was like talking to a brick wall. If only he 

would take things into another perspective, have some faith, believe a little, or at least take a chance and trust someone. She 

thought of Rinoa, and how she wanted to talk to her again. After all, Rinoa had been the one who had sent her on this mission.

So, for Rinoa, she had to keep trying.

"No. Wouldn't Rinoa want you to believe in angels? She believed in angels even when she knew she was dying. So why can't 

you when you're perfectly fine? She found out she had cancer. So you know what she did? She prayed for a guardian angel. 

To her, you were her seraph. But you can't be, because you don't believe they exist. So I guess she was wrong in loving you

as much as she did." Skye turned around.

"Never."

Skye could hear it in his voice. She had whacked a raw nerve. She had meant to. 

"Then what's so hard about believing? It's so simple. But it doesn't matter, does it? Won't you just try?"

His voice wavered as he spoke. "I don't know."

"I dare you to look me in the eye and tell me you'll try, Squall Leonheart."

He turned to face her. Fire burned in his eyes. He was angry, but the truth shone in his eyes. 

"Not for you. Not for myself. For Rinoa." He walked off. 

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 Squall kneeled before the cold, gray slab of stone. It was wet and rainy. He didn't really care. He looked at the name carved

on it.  His tears were lost in all the tears of the sky. He shook his head and laid down the flowers he had brought. Lightening 

flashed at him brightly. 

"Rinoa. I need your help... I don't know how to even begin to think about seraphs and angels. Was I really your seraph? I wish 

more than anything that you could be here with me. I miss you. You're gone. I wasn't ready for you to leave me yet. I'm all alone

now. Won't you give me a sign, any glimmer of hope to show me that everything'll be okay?" he clenched his fists.

He was cold and it was wet and dim, but warmth spread over him, and the sun broke the clouds for only a few seconds. 

Squall felt like something was draped over him. He stood up, shaking his head, unable to think straight, looking at his watch. 

He had to be back at Garden in half an hour.

"Is this your sign? Please, be here with me. Your body can't. But from what I'm supposed to be believing, your heart and soul 

can be living right here with me. 'With God all things are possible. God loves you'. That's what I was taught. But God killed 

Raine, and God killed you. What's so loving about that, Rinoa? What did you do to deserve such an evil fate? You understood

me. I loved you. I promised I would always be there for you. But somehow I let you slip through my fingers. Is this all my fault?"

his bangs whipped into his face, the wind kicking up. 

Squall looked into a puddle, his reflection staring back at him, eyes shadowed darkly. The winds created ripples on the surface. 

He stood up and looked to the sky. 

"I love you, Rinoa. I'll try my hardest to be the seraph you wanted me to be. The seraph I never was."


	3. The dream and the GF

Squall looked out the rain-streaked window, his eyes unfocused and distant. Skye sat parallel from him, smiling faintly. The train was rocking slightly, preventing silence that Skye wished for. She looked at Squall. _Rinoa. Could you have picked a harder, colder person than Squall Leonheart? I guess… this is the way it was meant to be. He's…unique. I've never seen anyone quite like him. He's unspoken. He has things he needs to get out. Squall's had a tough past, from what Rinoa had told me. Why can't he see that opening up can save him from the kind of pain he's been through before? Nothing can save him from the anguish of the death of a loved one though… _

He grimaced, coming back to the real world. His head hurt, and, figuring he might as well get some sleep, he leaned his head back, shifting into a more comfortable position. In about ten minutes he was out like a light. 

_"Squall…" he heard a voice call out to him. He gasped. That voice… it was… but how could it be?_

_"Rinoa?" he managed to get out._

_"Squall… Accept was has happened. I don't want you to linger on things of the past. Now that everything has changed, you're back to being the man you were when I first met you. Do you need to be softened up again?"_

_Rinoa appeared, looking as pretty as ever. Squall couldn't believe it. _

_"Rinoa… You don't understand."_

_She put one hand on his cheek. _

_"Please, Squall. Everything will be okay. It's okay to grieve. But don't live in the past. You taught me this yourself. The past is a guidepost, not a hitching post." Her voice was gentle but insistent. _

_"How can I not look back on it? It ruined my life." Squall was desperate to grasp and accept what she was saying. _

_"There are great things waiting for you. If you stay looking back upon one dire thing, you can never move forward so grand things can happen."_

_"There's nothing 'great' waiting for me! You were the thing in my life that mattered most. How can there be better things waiting for me than you?"_

_"Who knows? Love might lay in your future. You think love is a curse because someone you loved was taken from you. Love is a blessing, too. Our blessing. And I knew you could never be mine alone. You have someone better out there, ready for you to come and sweep her off her feet." Rinoa's eyes were filled with shining tears, but she was smiling. She grasped his hand. "It's time to let go, Squall. You'll always be my angel. I hope I'll always be yours, my love." She faded away into the mist._

_"Wait!" Squall yelled. He ran into the mist, reaching out, desperate to find Rinoa again, to give her a hug, to comfort her, to hold her in his arms and be with her once again. He was falling, falling into to deeper and deeper darkness, and all was lost to him._

"Wake up, Squall. We're at Galbadia Garden."

He reluctantly opened his eyes. His mind immediately flew back to the dream.

Skye looked at him, standing up and stretching. _There he goes again. _

Squall followed her out the door of the train absently. 

"Your body's here, but your heart is a hundred miles away." She commented.

"… I guess." He said, but his voice was vacant.

His hands were in his pockets and he was gazing at nothing in particular. _What did that dream mean? It's as if I can still almost feel her touch. It hurts to know I was so close to her. If I could've held on to her a little longer, maybe I would wake up and find it was all an evil dream. Please… God, if you do exist, help me to comprehend everything you've done. Rinoa felt, looked so real… did she really come to me in my dream? _

Squall saluted as the Headmaster of Galbadia Garden noticed and walked over to them.

"Hello, sir." Skye said cheerfully. 

He looked to Squall, who saluted him again.

"I'm sure you're here because of the experimental GFs, correct?"

"Yessir." Replied Squall in an all-business tone. 

"There is a new sorceress falling to power. Her name is Echo. She is the first to experiment with GFs after Sorceress Ultemecia. She's the biggest threat since Ultemecia, too. Echo has taken a GF called 'Deathborn'. It was created from combining several destructive monsters such as Diablos, etc. Deathborn has a mind of its own. It is contained now, but Sorceress Echo has all control over it and, unfortunately, her current location is unknown. So who knows how long it can be kept in one place? It must be defeated. Winhill lay in ruin because it got out of hand once. It was weakened then and it proved no large effort for Deathborn to destroy a whole town. It can't be imagined what it can do under full power. You must defeat it. You will be sent to Esthar, because Esthar is closest to the contained area where the GF is being held. Transportation as well as two rooms at an inn will be provided. Any questions?"

"No sir." Squall said in a rather official tone that hinted he would rather be anywhere else. 

"Nah." Smiled Skye, a plan forming at the back of her mind.

"Alright. There will be a train in half an hour to Esthar. Until then you're welcome to make yourself at home here. Good day."

The Headmaster dismissed himself and Squall relaxed his tense posture a bit. He had been standing straight as a board. 

"Let's go." Skye said.

"Where?" Squall met her with slightly cold eyes. 

"I dunno. Let's explore! You might find something of some use."

This sounded peculiar to him, and he glared at her suspiciously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means something might happen. Or maybe you'll find something out you didn't know before."

"How do you know?"

"Just a feeling."

He shook his head, eyes shaded.

"Whatever."

Squall followed her despite his doubts. He bit his lip, hoping the half hour would go fast. 

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Okay, plz review. Does it suck? If so, what's wrong with it? Thanks for reading my story. 

  
~Sefie Lynne tilmitt


	4. Unease

            There was a dank, sullen feeling about Galbadia Garden. Squall sat back, uptight but with an unreadable expression. Eventually he looked to Skye. Curiosity was getting the better of him.

"How are you related to Rinoa?" his voice was as blank as he could possibly make it.

She looked back at him, smiling, and shook her head. Squall supposed he was meant to take that as an answer.

"Well?" he asked.

"I'm her sister." She answered thoughtfully.   

Squall shook his head. Could things get any worse? 

"Squall?"

"What?" he glared faintly at her. 

"Do you-"

"Believe yet, no. Do I have a reason too? No. Do I care? Once again, no. Won't you tolerate refusal?"

"Never." She smiled at him. "But trust me; all with be alight in time."

"Whatever."

"She told you to let go, Squall. Why won't you listen to her?"

"How do you know?" Squall shot at her.

"Haven't you learned yet that things are more than they appear to be? If you haven't, you will. Listen to your dream, accept things. Rinoa would want you to. I promise." She waked swiftly away.

Squall stood there, enveloped in thought. _Should I believe? Should I truly accept that Rinoa's gone and I should move on? Are there really greater things? How did she know about my dream? What did she mean? How did Rinoa talk to me through a dream? Was that a true example of an angel? Maybe angels DO exist? Maybe there is a God? So many questions, with no answers available to me. _His eyes closed for a second. _If this is all true, I pray that the answers will be revealed to me. God, if there is one, and if you're listening, please prove to me what's true and what's not. I'm in the dark, and if everything I've heard is true, you're my light. If you're my light, then guide me. And hopefully I'm making the right choice. Because if I don't, all I'm asking for is pain._

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The golden sunlight washed over Squall in comforting warmth. It lit his face, and for the first in a long time, he looked content and thoughtful, and a small smile played across his face. It felt good to be at ease again. Things had felt better ever since he had let the dream affect him. Squall had decided to trust that Rinoa was right and let go. It hurt, but that's what Rinoa wanted him to do… right? There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Skye looked at him. She cocked her head slightly. Was it just her, or did he look a lot happier? She shook her head and smiled at him. 

"Do you believe now?" she asked. 

She wasn't expecting a change, but that didn't stop her from hoping for one.

"…Yeah." 

"You truly, honestly believe?"

"Yes."

"Great! Um…" Skye thought back to the last time she had talked to Rinoa.

_"Rinoa, you want him to believe in angels, and you want him to trust in God, right?"_

_"Mm hm."_

_"And then?"_

_"And then… We'll see when we get there."_

_"If we get there at all."_

_"What makes you say that? He's not as cold as you might think. Under that cold exterior lies a heart that will touch you. You'll easily find a friend in him if he opens up."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Positive, Skye."_

_"Okay… whatever you say." _

"Well… Let's see… What exactly do you believe?"

"You have to make this hard, don't you? I… I read a little of the bible. I'm as far as believing that Rinoa is an angel. I'm not too far in thinking God, if there is one, loves us."

"Don't you see? He does love us-"

"Don't push me faster than I'm ready to go." Squall interrupted her.

"Okay." Skye smiled. She was just happy she had gotten that far. 

"Let's go. We need to check out the area and see if we can get any information on the Deathborn."

"Alrighty." Skye nodded cheerfully, and looked him in the eye. "And thank you for trying, Squall." She walked out the door. 

         Squall shook his head and put on his jacket. Skye was a pain. Somehow that didn't bother him all that much any more. He sighed. Skye wasn't an easy person to comprehend. The more he had to put up with her, the more complex her character seemed. It was like a maze. The deeper you went in, the more lost you got. Squall's eyes were distant. Part of him wished Skye would just leave him be. But…  Something inside him wanted to figure her out. Most of her personality was still a mystery. He scowled. One thing was for sure, she was too persistent for her own good. He jogged down the hall, gun blade at his hip, trying to catch up to Skye. He looked at his watch. 3:50 p.m. 

"Stop." A thin girl with hair so blonde it was silvery white frowned. 

She had eerie deep green eyes that seemed to pierce him. She was tall and odd looking, and wore flowing robes that went down to her ankles made of gray silk. Resting on her forehead was a silver tiara with a deep gray stone set in the middle. She was deathly pale, and her gaze made Squall's skin crawl. For some reason, it seemed like she really wasn't supposed to be there. Squall glared at her.

"My name is Ashita." She looked at him cautiously. 

"Squall." 

"Why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Well… Squall… I came to warn you."

"Of what?" 

"Echo."

"The sorceress?"

"Yes. She is after you. She'll stop at nothing until you are insane or dead. Echo's not afraid to use cruel mental tactics. She will hurt, even kill, your friends if she must without hesitation."

"How do you know?"

"None of your concern."

"Then why should I pay any heed to the warning if you won't even tell me where you got the information? How do I know you aren't a spy of Echo?"

"Because of this." She walked right through him, her long robe rippling behind her. He spun around, the hair on the back of his neck standing straight up. Squall glared at the girl in complete shock and total distrust. 

"Squall… Do you believe me now?" Ashita smiled grimly. 

"Should I?"

She shook her head, her hair glimmering as it caught the dim light of the hallway. 

"So much, and still you refuse to trust?" 

She seemed to emit a strange power and Squall's vision blurred. The ground rushed up to meet him, and all was dark.

            Squall's sight was distorted, and he was dizzy, but he forced himself to stand up. Maybe that would clear his head a little. Everything was exactly how it was when he had lost awareness… He faintly wondered if he had just imagined it all. But that couldn't have been. He glanced at the black clock on the hall. It struck him that it still said 3: 52. It was nearly the exact same time it was when he last looked… Maybe the clock was broken. He shook his head, tried to forget the strange event, and strode down the hallway, hoping he could catch up to Skye. He looked ahead. She was waiting for him, smiling. Squall nodded, shook everything out of his mind, and came up to meet her. Something gave him a feeling of unease about trying to find out more about the Deathborn… but that still left him with no options, regardless of the bad sense he was getting. Squall simply put up a wall to block all his emotion, despite the nagging suspicion at the back of his mind, and followed Skye outside. 


	5. Close Call

"Keep it under control!"

"Stop that thing!"  
"Watch out!"

"If this thing isn't gone soon it'll kill someone!"

The shouts were loud, and very near. Squall had no doubt in his mind what 'it' was. He pushed through the crowd, Skye on his heels. Neither said a word, but both were concentrating on the same thing… the Deathborn. There was an immense bellow of anger and hatred.  Squall's eyes flickered distantly for a moment, but he shook his head and ran for the source of the sound. Skye stared at his back as he disappeared into the crowd. She shivered, ignored her instincts, and sprinted after him. 

Squall had his gunblade out by the time she reached him. At first she didn't even look up at the Deathborn.

"Are you ready to fight it?" he looked at her with impassive eyes. 

"I don't have my weapon with me…"

"You can use a gun, right?"

"Yeah…"

He tossed her a gun that he had kept, nearly invisible because of the length of his shirt and jacket, in a holster in his belt. 

"There."

"Are you sure about this, Squall?" she faltered. 

"Do I look unsure?"

His eyes were cold and hard, determined to accomplish whatever he set his mind to. He looked like he wouldn't be anywhere but here given the choice. He was definitely ready.

"Let's go then." Skye felt her knees go weak. 

He advanced purposefully, an all-business, cold look on his face, and Skye had no choice but to follow. She stared at the ground as she walked. She was dreading this… She would rather be anywhere but there at that particular moment. She closed her eyes, measuring her steps precisely as not to run into Squall. She looked like she was going to be sick. 

"What's wrong?" Squall didn't even turn around.

Skye briefly wondered how he knew how she felt. 

"Nothing. I'm just dreading this fight."

"Hm."

"Don't you believe me?"

"… Not really. You only told half the truth, but I won't press. I know how it feels to be demanded of like that."

Skye bit her tongue and stared at the robin's egg blue sky. White clouds danced across it. If only things were half as good as they appeared from a distance… 

"Okay." Her voice was filled with renewed resolve.  

Squall nodded, not even sparing her a second glance. 

He scowled slightly. _You've gotta be crazy Skye. What do you take me for? I know you're more than you let on. _

It seemed to Skye that waves of ice radiated from him. One thing was for sure; Squall was picked off at her, the Deathborn, or the world in general. 

"Are you mad?"

"Maybe."

"Why?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

"Can you blame me?" his pace quickened, and he seemed to be daring her to carry on the conversation.  

They came upon a giant monster, lashed down with ropes as thick as Squall's waist. It was black and ruby, and was huge. It had beady red eyes and long fangs that dripped what looked like a mixture of venom and blood. It let out an ear splitting roar that seemed to shatter a blanket of stillness. It had to be bigger than any GF they had ever seen. Squall instinctively shifted into attack mode. His brain whirled, and immediately without a second thought he drew his gunblade and prepared to summon and limit break. That thought was quickly put out of his mind. 

Skye stepped back and stumbled, falling with no elegance whatsoever on her butt. All was still. The Deathborn stopped moving. Its evil eyes fell upon Skye and remained there. A growing yearning appeared on its face. With seemingly no effort at all it broke free of the gargantuan ropes. A terrible clawed hair batted the air. The Deathborn searched the ground, giving a shriek. It made Skye cover her ears and flinch. Squall seemed completely unperturbed. He switched in two seconds from offensive to defensive. It was obvious he had fought many battles before. The colossal, grotesque GF's clawed hand flew down and pinned Skye to the ground. She screamed. If it moved an inch it would crush her beneath its humongous hand. 

             Squall flew over, thwacking at it, preparing to Lionheart it. Its other hand rushed up behind him, came over his head, and raked its claws down his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, holding off the searing pain, caught off guard. Squall shook his head, gritted his teeth, and prepared to lunge again at the monster. It batted angrily at him, in the process coming down hard on Skye. Skye yelped, pressing herself flatter against the ground. Squall thrust forward, plunging his gunblade deep into the GF's hand. It roared fiercely and maneuvered its injured hand one last time so that it stabbed through Squall's shoulder. It pulled its claw loose, unfolded wet, slimy, disgusting wings, and took off. 

Skye was badly shaken but not hurt. Squall sank to his knees, for once admitting that he was hurt. She ran over to him, terrified. 

"Squall! Are you okay?!" she cast curaga on him. Several of the men that had been attempting to keep the GF under control rushed over. 

"I'm fine." He mumbled, eyes shaded. He didn't want anyone to see the pain there. 

"Why did you do that? You coulda got killed!"

"You could've gotten killed, too. What was I supposed to do, let that thing have you?"

No matter how much she annoyed him, he didn't want anything bad to happen to her. Skye knew he was hurt when, even being the hardhead he was, he actually let someone help him to his feet. He winced but blanked his face of all emotion. Squall backed off from the man, frowning. 

"I'll do this myself. If I can't handle this, then what kind of SeeD am I?"

Skye shook her head, hands on her hips. _Men… such hardheads. And Squall… why did you do that? I'll tell you one thing… This was to close for comfort. _She sighed, frowning slightly, and let herself be swept away by the crowd of people, prepared for the barrage of questions. It was going to be a while before she had any time to herself. 

_Here we go again… _


	6. An Awkward Day

            Squall took two days to recuperate well enough to be back in action, though many people advised him to take it easy. Skye kept shooting him odd looks.

"What?" he demanded irritably.

"What's your birthday?"

"August 23rd."

"That's the day after tomorrow! I wish I would've known… now I have some last minute birthday shopping to do."

"No you don't. I don't need anything."

"Of course you do! It's your birthday. Everybody deserves a birthday present."

"Whatever."

"You sure have an annoying habit of saying that." She finally voiced her thought.

"Will you knock that off?"

"What off?"

"Paying such close attention to me, what I do and how I do it."

"Well, you need someone to, or else you'll get cold again. You need a friend-"

"Let's not get into this again."

"Why not?"

He ignored her, a distant look in his eyes. Her heart thumped, but she wasn't positive why. She was pretty sure it was from anger of his being such a stupid hardhead. What else could it be? She could help heal the hurt if only he'd open up. Couldn't he see that? He seemed focused on things far-off, in another, past, more pleasant time. 

"Squall, she loves you. She misses you. You know there's a chance that someday you'll rejoin her. Doesn't that lift your spirits? Rejoice! That day may seem far away, or even nonexistent to you. But it's not. Until then, take pleasure in life. Didn't you enjoy it before Rinoa died?"

"…"

"Squall."

"Yes."

"Get pleasure from it now. It'll be a breeze, and things won't be so hard. You're going to hurt yourself if you don't let go."

"Yeah? How so?"

"Doesn't life feel awkward?"

"Yeah, so?"

"It'll make to much pressure build up in your mind. You'll start to loose your grip on reality, preferring fantasy. It'll get to you, and it'll probably make you feel like life's not worth living."

"It hasn't broken me yet. It never will." 

"Squall!" she was exasperated. "You need to spread your wings and fly! Don't you realize everything will get better in time? If you accept it and move on you won't be half as miserable and you'll love the fact that you're blessed with the miracle of life."

"…"

"At least think on it?"

"…Okay."

"What do you want for your birthday?" the train pulled to a stop.

"I want Rinoa back." He stuck his hands in his pockets and strode out the door.

_I can't blame you, Squall._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Skye glared sharply. ("Rinoa, how could you leave so soon? He needs you so much.")

("You think I had an option? I needed him, too. But I couldn't stop it.")

("Well, he halfway believes. Is my mission complete yet?")

("He still hasn't let go.")

("Give me a straight yes or no answer, please.")

("…No.")

("Rinoa!")

("I know you're fed up with him. But if I thawed out that block of ice, so can you.")

("No I can't. I'm not you.")

("Perhaps not, but maybe you can occupy the empty space I left in his heart.")

("I don't want to.")

("He needs someone.")

("Can't he 'need' someone else?")

("Why are you so determined to get away from him?") 

_Because I think…_("… I don't like him. He's so cold I can hardly stand him. How did you do it?") _I just lied through my teeth…Joy. I hope she doesn't notice._

("He was cold when I met him too. Pull him slowly but surely out of that cold shell. I did, but I can't say I did it to slowly… I pulled him out onto the dance floor and taught him how to dance. He began to walk away, I pulled him back, and we danced. I'm not sure if he looks back on that memory happily or sourly.")

("Happily, I'm sure.")

("How's he getting along?")

("Okay… I guess. He won't accept a thing I tell him. He'll only listen to you.")

("I'll see what I can do.")

("Talk to you later?")

("Mm hm. See ya.") 

She cut off the mind link, sighing and flopping down on her bed, burying her head in her pillow. _When will this madness stop? Doesn't Rinoa understand? When will I get to go back home… away from this place, away from the People… Away from Squall? I think how I feel is wrong… It feels like I'm betraying Rinoa. I just want to leave everything standing… Rinoa…I would give anything to trade you places._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rinoa,

I know you told me to let go… But don't you understand how hard it is? It's hard to come to grips… with anything anymore. God exists, right? Then why did he take me from you? Please help me answer my questions. I love you and miss you, and that's the only thing that's inspiring me to believe. If angels do exist, I hope they can read and deliver this message to you.

I'll love you forever.

~Squall

_It looks so foolish… Maybe I should just throw it away. But if angels are real… then maybe Rinoa will get it… as if. I need to snap myself out of this. _Squall stood up and stretched. He laid his letter on the table, and walked swiftly to the entrance, where the turn-stiles were. The sky was bright blue and the white puffy clouds floated gently across it, creating intricate patterns. He couldn't understand what he was feeling. Squall leaned casually against the wall, lost in thought. _I feel so… miserable. I don't understand the other feeling tugging at the back of my mind, but it's definitely there. If it goes unnoticed much longer… It could take over. I need to identify it and move on. But how?_

Skye read the words aloud from her book, turning them over in her mind,

"Sometimes the world seems overrun with misfits, outcasts, loners" _Squall…_? "And other assorted oddballs, and it can be a challenge to accept their eccentric" _And cold? "Behavior. God made every one of those oddballs. He allowed His Son to die for them, so he obviously thinks they're valuable. People can be annoying and rude and mean. They may get on your nerves so much that they drive you up one wall and down another side crazy. Are you supposed to accept them? Yes- Every one of them" __Even Squall? "Just the way Jesus accepted the outcasts of his day. By embracing the very people the rest of humanity shunned, you can help people understand, and feel like they aren't quite as 'weird' as they were led to thought."_

_This whole article is about Squall. And… the next line… I will have to give Squall a copy of this book for his birthday. I have to hurry to the Christian book store before it closes. He might not want it, but maybe… just maybe… it will help him understand. _


	7. August 23rd

Squall woke up on the 23rd, unsure of what to think. He got up, stretched, and looked at the table. _My letter's gone…? He got up, wondering how on earth that had happened, and got dressed. Today didn't feel special, even though a lot of people regarded birthdays that way. Squall shook his head. Were things ever going to change? The door thumped as it hit something when he opened it. A wrapped package about six inches long and four and a half inches wide lay there. The wrapping paper was bright blue, and a dark blue bow was on it, under that was a card in a lavender envelope. He opened it. It was a book called Checklist For Life For Teens by Marcia Ford. He read the back, slightly interested, and put it down long enough to open the card. _

            For a reason beyond his comprehension it made him smile, and he noted she signed her name with a heart. He hadn't expected a greeting today, much less a card and a gift. He laughed to himself. Maybe Skye could be annoying, but she always kept you guessing. There was a knock at the door, and Squall quickly answered it. 

"Hello?"

"Hi Squall!" It was Selphie, and she was beaming as usual.   

"How're you?"

"Fine, you?"

"Alright…"

"Happy birthday!" she shoved a card into his hand.

"Thanks, Selphie…" _Why's everyone doing this for me? Birthdays aren't big deals. _

"19's a special age, right? So, um, everyone wants to tell you happy birthday later… okay? They'll be waiting in the Quad this afternoon about 3. Please come!"

"Okay…"

"Squall… I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"For today, will you loosen up? Let down that barrier of ice?"

"… I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you! I promise you'll enjoy yourself a lot more. Well, I gotta go, Squall! See ya at 3."

"Bye…" 

He leaned on the door facing long after she had left, contemplating what she had said. Eventually he sat down with a pencil and a pad of sketch paper, and began drawing. It was about half an hour and several wasted papers later until he was satisfied with it. 

            ~*~

Selphie ducked behind the stage. 

"C'mon! Hurry, Skye!" 

"Just one minor adjustment…!" she whispered in reply, straightening the banner. 

"This isn't the best thing to do, y'know…. He's as hard and cold as a brick. He won't be easily surprised." Commented one of the gang Skye seemed to remember as Quistis. 

"Aw, don't worry. Everything'll turn out fine!" grinned Zell. 

"I hope." Skye glanced at her watch. 

Squall walked in, and everyone made sure they were out of sight. He took one step in, glanced around for half a second, stuck his hands in his pockets, and began to walk out. _Typical Squall_. _Has to make even a surprise party a pain! Surely he's not dumb enough to think that Selphie set him up… Looks like I'll have to do this myself… Skye stuck her fingers in her mouth and made an odd whistling sound. He turned around, grimacing, and everybody jumped out._

"Surprise!" they all shouted in perfect unison. 

It was the first time Skye had seen Squall grin and mean it. Selphie skipped happily up to him. 

"Happy Birthday, Squall! I knew you'd come…!" she giggled, smiling in satisfaction.

"Thank you everyone…" Squall said quietly, the expression never abandoning his face.

_I truly have some great friends… _

"You're very welcome!" Skye beamed. 

Squall gestured at the decorations. 

"You all did great. Thankyou so much…"

("See, Skye? He has a heart.")

("If you stick around long enough to find it.")

("Not to find it, but penetrate the defenses. He thinks he can protect himself by putting up a shield of ice. But you really have gotten to him.")

("How do you know?")

("You should see what he made…")

("What's that supposed to mean?")

("You'll see soon enough. He'll show it to you eventually. Don't press until then.")

("Whatever. You make no sense.")

("Am I supposed to?")

("Sisters…")

("Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.")

("Exactly.")

"Here!" Selphie motioned for Squall to come over. "You hafta make a wish and blow out the candles before we cut the cake."

He walked over. The cake had a gunblade beneath the words 'Happy 19th Birthday Squall!' in midnight blue icing. Above that were nineteen small blue candles in a perfect line. They had just been lit. He closed his eyes, waited a second, then blew them out. 

"Well?"

"Secret."

"C'mon, Squall!"

"No."

"Pleeeease?" 

"No."

"Whatever ^^;"

"Thank you guys…" Squall shook his head as he cut the cake, smiling. 

Soon everyone had a piece of cake and were seated. Squall, Selphie, and Skye sat cross-legged in somewhat a half circle.  

"So. Do you have any regrets from your 18th year?" Selphie asked.

"Yes."

"Hmm. Like what?"

"Like failing my SeeD mission. Letting Rinoa die. Not being able to accept much." Squall gazed at the sky. "I regret not realizing how precious something is until it's gone."

"Those are some deep regrets. Well, since they're over now, ya might as well move on, cause what's done is done and we can't change it, right?"

"… That's right." Squall said quietly. _But I'd… I only wish… I'd give up my own life to be with Rinoa…_

"So, um…! Let's see, what do you wanna do next? You're the one who's having a birthday, so you decide, Squall!"

"… I don't care."

"okay…" 

Skye looked anxiously at gray clouds. _I sense something. Echo. I bet it's Echo. I wonder what she's up to…? Sorceress Echo. That sounds so wrong. It's always been just Echo. Echo, my cousin. Echo, my friend. Echo, whom I could always confide in. What happened? Did she lose her mind? Or has another sorceress possessed her? Am I powerless to help her? I think I could snap her out of this… if only I could talk to her. Where is she? How did she get this fixated on evil? Will I ever see the Echo I knew again?  _


	8. Kidnapped

            Skye's eyes flew open, her mind racing. She had heard something. She knew it wasn't her imagination, but still she couldn't see anything. Skye gritted her teeth and stood up quietly. She bit back a scream as a black gloved hand closed over her mouth, and someone grabbed her hands, dragging her out of the room.

            Squall closed his eyes, a twinge of pain stabbing at the back of his mind. _What is that…? He scowled, annoyed. It hit him again. His eyes flew open, a horrific feeling rushing over him like a wave, crushing him under its immense danger. _What the hell?! _Awful images rushed up to meet him, flashing in his mind only seconds before disappearing, so he still got chills when he thought about them but couldn't remember in the slightest what they looked like. Something was happening… he tried to concentrate, but that only made his head throb worse than before. He jumped as someone tapped his shoulder. _

"Squall, Skye's missing." It was Selphie.

"…What happened? Isn't there anything to go off of? Why would anyone want to kidnap her? She's useless in battle… I've seen that for sure." 

"There is something. She certainly didn't run away. She fought hard; everything was scattered around the room like she was kicking and struggling. Gosh, I hope she's okay…" Selphie shook her head, worried. 

_God damnit…How did I let this happen? I… I let myself go without realizing it… and now she's gotten kidnapped! _He cursed under his breath, his mind going back to Skye. _Why would anyone kidnap her? _

"She couldn't find any way at all to fight back? Wimp…Do you know where I could find any information at all?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't…"

"Then I'll see for myself."

"… I thought she drove you crazy?"

"… She does. Am I supposed to leave her there to rot?"

"Hehe. Well then, good luck Squall. I hope you find her."

"Whatever." 

He strode to his dorm. _I got myself into this… how do I get myself out of it? Alright…He looked at his drawing. The green eyes stared back at him intently, sad, tears clouding them. The wings were a soft near-white pink. The feathers seemed to play with the tresses, pulling them playfully into beautiful positions. He tore his eyes from it, putting down his sketch book. __Rinoa… I'm sorry… but you know what happened… Please forgive me… He slammed his fist on the desk, grabbed his gunblade, and rushed out the door. _

Skye's mind flickered at the edge of insanity, walking the thin line. The darkness tore into her, as did the ropes binding her ankles and wrists. They cut harshly into her flesh. She couldn't scream, seeing as there was a gag in her mouth. All her limbs were asleep, and there was a numbness eating away at her. Silence seemed to engulf her, swallow her whole. She had been alone for what seemed like days but was probably only somewhere around six hours. 

The cell reeked of death, warning her of prisoners that had rotted or been tortured to death there. She shivered. Hunger and thirst gnawed relentlessly at her stomach. Her cell phone rang, but she was helpless to get it. _Well, I'd answer it if I could! If I could, though, I'd already be out of this wretched place. If only I could reach it…Or even better, my pocket knife! _Skye tried to struggle, attempting to free her hands enough to get the knife. It slit her fingers as she got her hand close enough to reach it. _Dang it… She watched her fingers drip scarlet, and her stomach turned. _Squall… rescue me! But how will you know where I'm at? _Suddenly alarmingly rough hands grabbed her and pulled the gag out of her mouth. _

"Tell me the truth, bitch, or I'll kill you. Bloodshed doesn't bother me; especially killing a scum like you!"

"…" Skye gasped for breath, welcoming the fresh air, but it only parched her mouth more. 

"You're the daughter of Heartilly, right?"

"I'm God's daughter. Every one of us are God's children. He sent his son to die for us, to redeem us of our sins."

"I didn't ask for you to preach to me, bastard!"

"You asked who's daughter I was. That's who I am, sir."

He untied her wrists and grabbed the hand which she had cut. He chuckled harshly. 

"Trying to escape, no doubt. A knife… which means you probably have a dagger on your belt." 

He turned her around and took the knife and cell phone out of her belt. He stepped on Skye's injured hand, and she couldn't stop from crying out. 

"Now, are you Heartilly's daughter?"

"Y-Yes…" _God, give me strength! _

"That's what I thought. Where is Rinoa Heartilly of the Timber Forest Owls?"

"In heaven."

"What?! How did she die?!"

"Cancer…" 

He howled in fury, left the cell, and came back with bread and water. 

"There. Make due, because it's all you'll be getting for quite a while."

"When I get out-!"

"You won't get out. No one's ever escaped, and no one's coming to rescue you. So you'll stay here till we're tired of you and kill you or you simply rot here." 

He cackled and slammed the door. She flexed her arms, the lack of feeling slowly fading. She reached down and attempted to undo her ankles. To no avail, they remained tied. The knotted cords were nearly impossible to untie. Skye sighed resignedly and struggled to force down the dry, stale bread and foul water. About half an hour later her mind whirled. The food must've been drugged, she realized, and eventually fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. 


	9. Alone Again

("Skye! Skye, are you okay?")

("I dunno....")

("Where are you? What happened?")

("... I...")

("You've got to wake up...! Some one's coming to rescue you!")

            Skye blearily woke up, eyes dark and confused, the drug affecting her mind, but not as much as it had earlier. It was slowly wearing off. She stood up on wobbly legs, wondering briefly if she would be trapped in this room forever. There was a shriek that tore into her, and she winced. So did a figure standing in the doorway. She tried to recognize him, and it hit her suddenly with a blow. Squall! It was Squall. He hurried quietly over to her. 

"Skye! Are you okay...?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"Good. We have to get out of here. Surely some one will notice you're gone, and what I did to the guards..."

"To late."

Skye spun around, and her eyes locked onto the cold eyes of the Sorceress. She gasped and stumbled back into Squall. Echo's cold, colorless eyes cut deep into them. She crossed her arms, smirking. 

"Think you can escape me, insolent fools? My power is a thousand times greater." She screeched suddenly, rage flowing from her in a violent stream. Without a word Squall stepped in front of Skye.

"Trying to protect the insignificant little girl, eh? You can't protect her, you idiot! You couldn't protect Rinoa… could you?"

Squall flinched, his nerves of steel wavering.  

"I knew it. Hmm… Skye… don't you even see? You haven't even noticed!"

"Noticed…?"  
"He loves you. Squall Leonheart, who swore he would never love again, is in love with you. And he will lose yet another person he loves…"

"I won't let you hurt her!"

"You let Rinoa die. Who's to say you can stop Skye from dying? She's the last hope you have and you know it. And deep down… you know you can't save her."

"Stop it!" Squall cast Aura on himself, allowing him to use limit breaks. He attempted Lionheart on her. She suddenly cast a protect/reflect spell… and somehow bounced the attack back on him. He winced but went right back by casting cura on himself. 

"You can't hurt me…"

"Who's to say?" she prepared to summon. Squall's heart sank. He knew what she was summoning… and it was going to seal their fates. 

"ECHO! Listen! Why are you doing this?!" screamed Skye. 

"Die and go to hell, Lionheart!" cackled Echo darkly and manically.

There was a horrid roar, and the sound of flapping wings. Squall dove into action. He summoned Carbuncle, protecting himself and Skye both. The Deathborn appeared before them. He tore into action immediately. It roared and batted him away like he was a fly despite the fact he was a level 99. 

"Finish him off." Said Echo nonchalantly, almost bored.

It held its razor sharp claw above Squall, pinning him down, an inch above him. He squirmed beneath it. It was going to impale him. He felt sick. The Deathborn lowered its claw slowly. Squall gasped and closed his eyes. He was completely powerless to do anything at all. It skewered him, stabbing into him painfully. He yelled, then went completely numb. He could still move, but every second he was getting weaker. He was loosing too much blood way too fast. He didn't have a chance. Everything was going black… 

"No!" Skye yelled. 

He was rapidly recovering. Skye was enveloped with a liquid diamond light. It swallowed her whole, making her sparkle and shimmer. Squall reached out for her, eyes wide. _I won't lose her! God, I believe… I do… If you want to earn my full trust, don't take her from me…_Skye reappeared, transparent. She smiled at him, tears shining on her face. Suddenly the pain was gone. The Deathborn disappeared. Squall stumbled up, forcing his legs, which felt like rubber, to move. He reached out to Skye, touching her hand… or attempting too. His hand went right through hers. 

"Skye…?!"

"My mission is finished. I've got to go home. I don't want to leave you either. And I left you with a last gift: life. I hope you remember me and the lesson I taught you. Please… don't forget me." She dropped a small locket into his hand and disappeared. He fell to his knees. _No… _He opened the locket. It sparkled brightly and shimmered, multicolored. He shook it into his palm. Behind it were two photos. One was of Squall and Skye; the other was of Rinoa and Squall. He put the sparkling dust back into the locket and slipped it into his pocket. Also a note was in his hand. He hadn't even realized it was there at first. He unfolded it gingerly.

Squall,

This is Stardust. You can make one wish on it… but you can't bring back Rinoa. She's been gone far to long. Use it well.

Love,

Skye Heartily

There was a scream of rage and agony. Squall looked abruptly up. Echo was being held by the arms by Selphie and Zell. 

"Cast stop on her!" commanded Selphie. Squall quickly did so, running up to them and the stopped sorceress. 

"Where's Skye…?"

"Let's go… I'll tell you on the way back." Squall realized how exausted he was not only physically but emotionally. He followed them out. _One wish…right? I think…I know what to use it for. _ 

. 


	10. Angel

            Skye laid her head on Squall's shoulder, sighing contentedly. The credits scrolled across the screen, and Squall was reluctant to move, happy just to sit there with Skye. She looked at him, suddenly troubled. 

"You could wish for anything… anything at all. Why'd you choose to bring me back?"

"…Because I…" his face turned red. "I love you."

"I love you too. You know… I'm happy to have you. Thank you." 

Squall looked at the clock.

"We'd better get to church."

"Yeah…" her eyes shone. "Today you get baptized!"

"And…" he handed her his class ring. 

She hugged him.  "Let's go."

He followed her outside. 

"I'll catch up with you in a minute." He said. She shrugged and moved ahead. He looked to the heavens. _Rinoa… I still love you. But you were right. I love Skye, too. I'll always love you as well, though. _A star twinkled, and it seemed to Squall it was Rinoa's response. _Thank you for understanding… and thank you God… for sending me Skye… My angel. _


End file.
